Eaves protector



Dec. 13, 1955 5, SH E 2,726,608

EAVES PROTECTOR Filed Oct. 20, 1952 III LYMA N 5. AEH LEY INVENTOR.

' Ar-rv United States Patent EAVES PROTECTOR Lyman S. Ashley, Portland, Oreg.

Application October 20, 1952, Serial No. 315,652

3 Claims. (Cl. 1081) This invention relates to improvements in devices for protecting the eaves of the roofs of buildings against the formation of ice along the eaves.

One of the principal objects of the invention is the provision of a device of this character which is of simple, etficient, and durable construction, and which may be readily attached to an eave throughout its length to replace the first two or more rows of shingles along the eaves or which may be attached to the cave to cover said rows of shingles.

A further object of the invention is the provision of means in open communication with the interior of the device and with the interior of the building to which it is attached for partaking of the warm internal temperature of the building and the distribution of warm air entirely throughout the length and width of the device.

A further object is the provision of a device of this character which is made up of a plurality of telescoping units joined together in air-tight relationship and which is adaptable for attachment to a roof by a simple nailing operation.

These and other objects will appear as my invention is more fully hereinafter described in the following specification, illustrated in accompanying drawing, and finally pointed out in the appended claims.

In the drawing:

Figure l is a fragmentary sectional view of a wall and a ceiling of a building and a roof showing my invention operatively attached thereto.

Figure 2 is a top plan view of Figure l, with fragments broken away for convenience of illustration.

Figure 3 is a fragmentary side elevation of Figure 1.

Figure 4 is a fragmentary top plan view of a modified form of the invention.

Figure 5 is a fragmentary side elevation of Figure 4.

Figure 6 is a sectional end view taken along the line 66 of Figure 2.

Figure 7 is an enlarged fragmentary perspective end view of one of the units.

Figure 8 is a sectional end view taken along the line 8-8 of Figure 4.

Referring now more particularly to the drawing:

Reference numeral 1 indicates the usual rafters, and 2 and 3 the roof sheeting and shingles respectively applied to the rafters in the usual manner. The wall studding indicated at 4 has the usual wall sheeting 5 applied thereto and an outside wall covering which may be in the form of shakes or shingles or any other suitable covering indicated at 6. The inside wall covering 7 and the ceiling 8 of the room are made up of the usual wooden or metal lath and plaster.

As best illustrated in Figures 1 and 2 the invention comprises any desired number of tubular elements generally indicated at 9 of substantially rectangular shape in cross-section and made up of a single sheet of material and comprising a bottom wall 10 turned upwardly to form a vertical wall 11 then horizontally to form a top wall 12 in spaced relation to the bottom wall 10 and then 2,726,608 Patented Dec. 13, 1955 turned downwardly as at 13 then horizontally as at 14 parallel to the marginal edge of the bottom wall 10 to cooperate therewith to form a single nailing strip of double thickness. The flange portion 14 and the underlying marginal surface of the bottom wall 10 are spotwelded together at predetermined intervals to seal each unit throughout its length except at one end as for example the end indicated at 15 in Figures 2 and 7 so that said end will be free to spread sufficiently to receive the end of the adjacent unit in overlapping relation as shown. When all of the units are so united the assembly is then nailed'as at 16 to the roof sheeting boards as shown or if desired the assembly may be nailed on top of the lowermost rows of shingles of an eave.

One end unit 17 is sealed off at one of its ends by spotwelding or soldering the marginal edges together as at 18. The opposite end unit is open to the atmosphere at its outermost end. The first mentioned end unit is in open communication with the interior of a room of the building by means of a duct 19 whose one end extends through an opening 20 in one of the roof sheeting boards and extends through the bottom wall 10 of the unit and is secured thereto by soldering or the like. The opposite end of the duct extends downwardly through an opening 21, formed in the ceiling 8, is flared outwardly as at 22 and its open end is covered by any approved type of grille 23 which may be secured to the ceiling in any approved manner if desired. By this arrangement the inside temperature of the room into which the duct extends is transmitted to the interior of the assembled ducts through the entire length of the eave of the roof to prevent the formation of ice therealong.

Each unit is made of relatively thin sheet metal and in order to prevent the collapse of the top wall 12 of each unit I provide spacer elements in the form of inverted channel members 24 which are secured by means of their flange portions 25 to the bottom wall of each unit by soldering, spot-welding or the like. The channel members are arranged in angular relation to each unit as shown to cause the air within the units to move toward the outside of each unit in its passage through the assembly and finally out to the atmosphere. The channel members being open at both of their ends do not obstruct the movement of warm air through the assembly.

In the modified form of the invention shown in Figures 4, 5 and 8, the bottom wall 10A is soldered or otherwise secured as at 26, to the inside edge of the flange 14A so that a nailing strip of single thickness is provided for nailing to the roof sheeting boards or to the shingles. As shown in Figures 4 and 5 one end portion of the nailing strip 14A is cut back to form a limit stop 148 for the insertion of that end of the unit into the end of an adjacent unit. When the units are thus telescopically united the single nailing strips are nailed to the roof at desired spaced apart intervals as at 27.

While I have shown particular forms of embodiment of my invention, I am aware that many minor changes therein will readily suggest themselves to others skilled in the art without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention. Having thus described my invention, what I claim is:

1. An article of the class described comprising in combination a plurality of hollow tubular units of substantially rectangular shape in cross-section and telescoped one within the other at their ends to form an assembly adapted for attachment to the eave of the roof of a building, one end unit of said assembly being sealed at one of its ends, means in open communication at one of its ends with at least one of said units and adapted at its opposite end for open communication with the interior of a building for the passage of warm air therefrom to the interior of said assembly, diagonally arranged spacer elements disposed on the interior of each of said units to direct the movement of air through the assembly toward the outer edge thereof.

2. An article of the class described comprising a plurality of hollow tubular units each of substantially rectangular formation in cross-section and comprising a bottom wall, a vertical outer wall, a horizontal top wall, a downwardly and forwardly tapering inner wall and a horizontal flange portion secured to the marginal edge of said bottom wall, one end of each of said units being telescopically connected to one end of an adjacent unit, said flange and marginal portion of one unit being embraced by the corresponding portions of said adjacent unit whereby a single fastening element driven through the said embraced portions will secure said ends of said units together and to a roof, and means in open communication at one of its ends with the interior of at least one of said units and adapted at its opposite end for open communication with the interior of a building for the transmission of air from the interior of a building to the interior of said units.

3. In building construction, a ceiling supported by an outside wall, a roof having an eave overhanging said wall, a plurality of hollow tubular units each of substantially rectangular formation in cross-section and comprising a bottom wall,.a vertical outer wall, a horizontal top wall, a downwardly and forwardly tapering inner wall and a horizontal flange portion secured for the major portion of its length to the marginal edge of said bottom wall, one end of each of said units being telescopically connected to one end of an adjacent unit, the ends of said flange and marginal portion of one unit being embraced by the corresponding end portions of said adjacent unit, said units being disposed along said cave, said embraced portions of the units being secured to each other and to said roof by fastening elements extending therethrough and into the roof, an air duct in open communication at one of its ends with the interior of at least one of said units and offset and extending through an opening in said ceiling.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 400,431 Birely Apr. 2, 1889 1,002,611 Wagner Sept. 5, 1911 1,046,910 Wagner Dec. 10, 1912 1,585,468 Covell May 18, 1926 

